Schalke 04 vs. Union Berlin preview: Will Schalke clinch their first win of the campaign?
Schalke will look to claim their first victory of the Bundesliga season when they face a Union Berlin side who have not lost this term.
| Photo: OneFootball |
Schalke 04
Schalke are still looking for their first win since returning to the top flight after collecting two points from their opening three league games.
They began the campaign with a 3-1 away defeat to FC Köln, and looked set to start the season with consecutive defeats as they trailed 2-1 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, but a 93rd-minute penalty from Marius Bülter helped Schalke claim their first point of the season.
Another draw followed last week in a slightly less dramatic game, with Schalke playing out a goalless draw away to Wolfsburg, leaving them in 13th place ahead of Saturday's contest.
Although Schalke may been disappointed with a goalless encounter, they can take confidence from the fact they recorded their first league clean sheet of the season after conceding five goals in their opening two Bundesliga matches.
With Schalke unbeaten in their four Bundesliga meetings with Union Berlin, the hosts will be hopeful that they can avoid defeats for the third consecutive game.
Team News
A hamstring injury will prevent Justin Heekeren from featuring, while Sebastian Polter is a doubt for Saturday's contest.
Union Berlin
Union have started the new season in impressive form, and ahead of Saturday's encounter, they occupy a top-four spot.
Their Bundesliga campaign began with a comfortable 3-1 victory over local rivals Hertha BSC, before they were held to a goalless draw against Mainz.
However, Urs Fischer's side returned to winning ways last weekend, beating RB Leipzig 2-1. Jordan Siebatcheu and Sheraldo Becker both grabbed a goal apiece in the first half, and although Willi Orbán halved the deficit in the 83rd minute, Union held firm to claim their second win of the Bundesliga season.
After winning their opening two home games this term, Union are now unbeaten in their last eight home league matches.
Meanwhile, their overall unbeaten Bundesliga run stretches to 10 games, with eight of those encounters resulting in a victory. They also have the chance this weekend to avoid defeat in five consecutive Bundesliga away games for the first time in the club's history.
A win on Saturday could also result in Union topping the Bundesliga table, with Bayern Munich kicking off their match against Gladbach three hours later.
Team News
Fabio Schneider and Timo Baumgartl are the only players expected to miss out for the visitors on Saturday.
